Avenge Her
by hoard-of-stars
Summary: Bianca was so many things to him. She was the one that stayed strong for both of them after Poseidon murdered their parents. She got them back on their feet and erected a reputation as the most feared pirate captain on the seven seas with her crew. But he forgot one thing; the lingering thirst for revenge. Suddenly his sister is dead, and he has to avenge her, and soon. Pirate!au
1. Chapter 1

"Ahoy, quartermaster!" Captain di Angelo called to me.

My head snapped up and my body whipped around, my sword clanking against my thigh as a grin spread across my face. "Ay, Captain?" 

"Belay the ropes in the crows' nest, will you?" Captain di Angelo winked at me cheekily. The captain knew _everything_ about me, including the fact that the crows' nest was my favorite place to hang out. I guess it was a given that the captain knew everything about me; Captain Bianca di Angelo _was_ my older sister, after all, the person I had grown up and trusted my life with.

"Aye aye, Captain di Angelo!" I mock-saluted and scampered to the crows' nest, my sister's merry laughter ringing in my ears as she good-naturedly ordered the crew about. They, of course, obeyed her, not out of fear but out of respect. My sister was a likeable person, and a fair captain, admired by many but also feared as well.

I heard the sharp clicks of her heels as she marched towards the helm of the ship and gazed out to sea, sparing a glancing through her spyglass every few seconds. I observed her fondly from the crows' nest, admiring what an amazing person she'd grown into, fitting into the role of protector, sister, mother, and best friend all as she built up a reputation for herself as the most feared female pirate captain on this side of the seven seas.

She was fourteen when she had become captain after our father and mother's demise, and I twelve. We were scared young children, but Bianca had swallowed her emotions and stayed strong- for _us._ Letting your guard down was a sign of weakness, and weakness got you killed. Now Bianca was eighteen and I was sixteen. We were well-off pirates with luxurious lives and a good crew- but most importantly each other. Life on a rowboat would have been paradise as long as Bianca was with me. It couldn't get any better than it already was.

As I watched the captain, I saw her features harden as she studied the horizon. The hardened expression turned into one of disbelief, then fear, then _horror,_ pure, raw horror, a horror that I hadn't seen on her face for so long, the same kind of horror I had overtaken her features as we had watched our parents get murdered in cold blood before our very eyes four years ago.

My sister tore herself away from the helm and panic was painted in its most horrible form on her face as she screamed to the crew," Sail ho, I repeat, _sail ho_! Turn this ship around _now_! Quartermaster, raise the sails and get down here right now! We're being pursued, Zoë, run a few shots across the bow and arm the starboard cannons!"

" _Fire in the boom!"_ Three earsplitting _BOOMS_ were heard as Zoë obeyed the commands and I frantically undid the sails. "Nico, come down _now_! It's not safe up there!" Bianca yelled at me. "If all else fails, abandon ship!"

A cold feeling settled itself in my gut. "What about you, Captain?" I called as I slid down to the deck, hoping my fear didn't show itself in my voice, hoping the answer I knew I would get wasn't the one she would give me.

"I? Quartermas- Nico, _brother,_ I believe you know the answer to that one." Bianca's tone was gentle, yet firm. "If the worst occurs, a captain must go down with her ship, the way Mama and Papa would have done, given the chance."

Panic was choking me as cannons from the distance were being fired in response, missing by mere centimeters and dousing everyone on deck with sea spray.

Our flight was quick but not quick enough. The bow of another ship was visible, and with a sudden realization that felt like I had been punched in the stomach I finally understood why Bianca was so scared.

The ship chasing ours was the one that had ambushed us when Bianca and I were young children, the same ship whose crew members had taken our parents life. Cold fear gripped me as I rushed over to her at the exact moment she rushed to me.

We embraced each other, a short connection that felt like forever. "I love you." she whispered into my ear just as the first grappling hooks pierced the deck of the _Lupo di Mare,_ the Sea Wolf, our ship.

At that moment Bianca shed the role of older sister like an old skin and metamorphosed into Captain Bianca di Angelo, slayer of the seas. She strode over to the helm of the ship to face the capturers. I followed her, my heart pounding against my ribcage. If the di Angelos were going down- well, we were going down together.

"Surrender your ship to us, Captain di Angelo." a cold, smooth voice drawled. "Surrender your ship and your lives to us so we can commit the murder of the person who robbed us of the soul of our crew in her wake."

"Surrender?" Bianca uttered the term incredulously, with venom. "You ambushed our ship, Captain Jackson. You took the lives of my parents and in return I took the life of your father. There is a reason why they call me Captain Bianca di Angelo, slayer of the seas." She unsheathed her sword and the crew approached behind us, bearing weapons as well.

My own sword felt heavy and slack in my grip, my mouth dry and adrenaline taking the rightful place of blood in my veins.

"How ironic." A new voice, a feminine voice but fierce nonetheless, was speaking. Two shadows formed in the thick mist. "The slayer of the seas slayed by the son of the seas. We have an army, and what do you have? You will go down tonight, and it will be brutally painful." 

Anger bubbled up in my throat and I swept my sword forward, shouting," Nobody threatens my sister! You seem to have forgotten that us di Angelos refuse to go down without a fight, Captain Chase!"

Laughter echoed across the air, so strong it rippled the waves themselves. Bianca put a firm hand on his shoulder. He could hear her unspoken message loud and clear.

"Who's this, now? Let me see if I remember!" Captain Jackson bellowed. "Ah, yes! The young di Angelo boy, Nicholas, if I recall?"

"Nico!" I gritted my teeth and growled.

"You certainly have grown!" he mocked me. "Why, I remember when you were but a scared little twelve year old, watching your mother and father meet their dooms by the hands of my father's forces."

My breath caught in my throat and my vision swam as I had a brief but oh, so vivid flashback.

" _MAMA! PAPA!" I thrashed ferociously even though I was hopelessly bound to a mast. Tears were sliding down my cheeks as my mother and father met my eyes for what would surely be the last time._

 _I glanced at Bianca. She was trying to grab at her dagger. The second her fingers touched the hilt of it a member of the crew snatched it, threw it into the ocean, and slapped her cheek with the end of a frayed rope._

 _Mama had screamed as the blow sounded across the open air. "Leave the children alone." Papa's voice was low and steady but dripping with hatred. "Let them be, they've done nothing to you!"_

" _They're your spawn. They've done me a crime by simply existing." The captain, Poseidon, held two knives. One at Papa's neck and one at Mama's. "They shall live long enough to see you die." he whispered._

" _MAMA! PAPA!" Bianca was now the one thrashing and screaming._

" _Nico, Bianca, i nostri bellissimi bambini. La nostra meravigliosa famiglia. Ti amiamo cosi tanto; Nico, Bianca, our beautiful children. Our wonderful family. We love you so much." Mama whispered hoarsely._

" _Cosi tanto...; So much…" Papa repeated faintly. I hadn't had five seconds to drink in their words before metal plunged and all I could recollect for a long, long time after that was the screaming._

I hyperventilated as the crew laughed cruelly at the effect their words had on me.

"Worthless scum!" I growled. "I am Nico di Angelo, the Ghost King, Master of the Shadows, Destroyer of Light, Prince of the _Lupo di Mare_! You will pay for the fate you delivered to my parents. And you will pay dearly."

Suddenly, we were surrounded by cloaked figures, all equally frightening. There was a girl with choppy brown hair with feathers braided into it, a tall man with blond hair and a scar above his upper lip, another blond guy with light blue eyes and curly locks, a Roman-y warrior girl with a spear and full battle armor, an impish looking fellow with curly brown hair and a coy grin playing at his mouth, a sun kissed girl with cinnamon hair and dirty hands, a punk girl with a pixie cut, an Asian, macho looking guy, an African American girl with curly cinnamon brown hair, and dozens more. I gripped my sword tightly.

I don't know how to describe the battle, if you could call it that. We had no hope. We were easily overwhelmed. So many people who I had grown close to and who I knew Bianca had grown even closer to lay dead in a matter of minutes. Zoë, Phoebe, Naomi, Celyn, and countless others. I slashed through their forces with more and more vigor each time one of our crew fell and didn't get back up.

I was back to back with Bianca, sister and brother fighting side by side just like it happened four years ago. We fought long and we fought hard, but in the end, all our crew were dead and only Bianca and I remained. Captain Jackson and Captain Chase cornered us in the far back of the ship.

"This is how it ends- for the girl, at least." Captain Jackson looked amused and satisfied.

"What do you mean?" Bianca demanded harshly, gripping my hand.

"What I mean is, long after you are dead, your brother Nico here will- well, we'll be having our fun with him, to say the least." The captain threw his head back and laughed.

He turned around and barked to one of the people behind him," I'll take care of the captain. Reyna, take care of our little Ghost King here." Suddenly a pair of rough hands seized me and tried to tear me away from my sister. I held fast, gripping her arms and trying not to cry. They pulled us in opposite directions and I struggled and fought, screaming her name over and over.

" _Don't touch my sister!_ BIANCA! BIANCA! _BIANCA!"_ I kicked and shrieked and all of a sudden I was twelve years old again, watching my parents die right in front of me, the sickening realization that life would never be the same again after this settling on my shoulders. The person holding me staggered backwards and my grip broke. Bianca was shouting my name across the boat, stretching her long fingers out towards my own.

Before she was dragged out of my sight, I saw her lips form three words: _I love you._ I barely had time to scream them back at her before someone shoved me into a dark room. Something came into contact with my head, and my vision became blurry before it all went black.

When I came to, I was thrown roughly onto the deck of the ship, my hands bound to my sides. There were people in front of me; Captain Jackson and his whole crew.

Immediately, I yelled," You touch a hair on the captain's head and you're _DEAD,_ Jackson!" The captain simply smirked. "You will never get away with this!" Snickers echoed across the ship.

The captain's smirk became smug. "Oh, I already have- Ghost King."

My throat became dry. "W-What do you mean?"

Jackson's mouth twisted. "What do I mean? _What do I mean?_ Listen to this- he asks what I mean! You want to know what I mean, _Ghost King_?" He leaned in to tilt my chin up and his cruel sea-green eyes bore into mine. "Captain Bianca di Angelo is _dead._ "

" _No."_ The word left my mouth like a hopeless whisper as I was forced to stare into his eyes, not believing. "NO! She's not dead! SHE'S NOT DEAD! Not Bianca! Not my sister! It's NOT TRUE! YOU'RE LYING TO ME!" I screamed at him, wanting more than anything to connect my fist to his face.

"Oh, I don't wish I were. It's true, Ghost King. Your sister is dead, and she's never coming back, just like your poor mother and father, just like the crew of your filthy little rowboat. They're all gone. Forever."

I felt my soul shatter. In one shrill cry I somehow managed to break free from my bonds. I punched Jackson in the face and basically went psycho.

"GRACE, VALDEZ, RESTRAIN HIM!" Jackson staggered onto his feet, clutching his bloody nose. The tall blond with the scar above his lip jumped me while the curly haired, elfish brunette tackled my legs and tied my hands and feet together tightly. Really tightly. The blond shook his head at me and gave me a look of- pity, was it? I promptly spit in his face with disgust. I was shaking and trembling and screaming, trying to get away.

"Our guest needs to learn some manners. Solace, take him to the back for patching up. We'll need him healthy and strong for what we have in store for him."

The curly haired blond attempted to help me to my feet. I say attempted because I bit his hand as soon as it was close enough to my face. He just sighed and untied the bonds on my feet. I shakily rose, glaring daggers at a bloody nosed Captain Jackson.

"Feisty one, aren't you?" The blond led me to a room at the top of the stairs. I said nothing in reply. I was still shaking.

 _My sister is dead. My sister is dead. My sister is_ dead _…_

A lump rose in my throat and I swallowed it hard. I couldn't show weakness. Weakness got you killed.

"If it makes you feel any better-" The blond started, but I cut him off.

"What do you mean, _if it makes me feel any better_?! My sister, my only family, is _dead._ And it's your crew's fault! _Nothing_ you could possibly say could make me feel any better."

"Listen, I'm just saying-"

"No, _you_ listen. Can you give me back my sister, our crew, and the _Lupo di Mare_? Even just my sister?" 

The blond said nothing.

"Exactly. You can't make me feel 'any better.' So please, let me be miserable in peace."

The blond shook his head and started to slather some paste on rope burns I didn't even know I had.

"Would you at least tell me your name?"

"No." Why should he get to know my name?

"I don't want to have to call you _Ghost King,_ alright? Not all of us are as cruel as Captain Jackson. Not all of us wanted to see your sister and your crew die, so stop treating us like that." His voice became hard.

I was silent for a minute, considering. Then I mumbled," Nico. My name's Nico. And if you didn't want to see my sister die, why'd you let it happen? On the _Lupo di Mare,_ every decision was determined by democracy."

"Well, Nico, you'll soon come to realize that not all boats function like the _Lup-o dee Mare._ " He sounded out the Italian phrase so strangely I had to smile a little. Once I realized I was smiling, I quickly covered it up. "On the _Argo II,_ what Captain Jackson wants to happen happens. None of us have a say in it."

That seemed like a screwy way to run a boat, I thought. I decided to keep it to myself.

"I'm Will, by the way. Will Solace." He looked up midway through bandaging my wrists and snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Weel Solace." The words rolled over my tongue in a funny sort of way. I didn't understand it when he burst out laughing.

"What is so funny?" I demanded.

"Y-your accent…" He wiped a tear from his eye. "It's-it's very lilting." He stopped laughing and smiled.

The door burst open at that moment. "Hey, Will, Captain wants you and the pr- _Nico,_ out on the deck." The African-American girl smiled at him. Her eyes passed over me once, twice, flooded with sympathy.

"Hi. I'm Hazel Levesque. I'm- I'm really sorry about your sister." She walked over to me and squeezed my hand briefly. Her touch was cool and soothing, like ice on a burn. The comment about Bianca made me feel numb all over again. I was only somewhat aware of Will tying the bandages on my ankles as he pulled me to my feet.

"What does the Captain want this time?" Will asked Hazel, kind of bored.

"Something to do with him." She jerked her head towards me. "I should be going. Frank doesn't trust him that much, but we should give him a chance, right?"

Why was everyone talking about me like I couldn't hear? I staggered out the open door with Will and Hazel right behind me to face Jackson and whatever he had in store for me.

My mind felt numb as one thought pulsed like my life's blood, one thought that kept me going:

 _Bianca is dead. You have to avenge her. Bianca is dead. Avenge her._


	2. Chapter 2

I faced Jackson with my head high. "What do you want from me?"

He laughed, cold and cruel. "What will it _take_ to break your spirit, Niccolo?"

"It's. Just. _Nico_." I said through gritted teeth.

"Answer the question, boy. We've taken _everything_ from you. Your mother, your father, your sister, your crew, your ship- how are you still the way you are? Shouldn't you give give in and save yourself a lot of pain?" Jackson seemed more curious than sadistic, though the sadism was still in there somewhere.

It took me a moment to answer. "Because, Jackson, in case you've forgotten, us di Angelos refuse to go down without a fight." I moistened my lips. "Now, did you call me out on deck to discuss _feelings_ or do you have any real business to get down to?'

Jackson shook his head, annoyed. It gave me a twinge of satisfaction.

"I'm prepared to offer you a deal, Nico di Angelo."

I raised a brow. "And what would that be?"

"I've seen you in battle. When faced with an enemy, you're absolutely ruthless, not to mention skilled with a sword. We could use a person like you on our crew. You'd get your black sword back, of course, provided you accept." Jackson held out his hand and a rare smile graced his lips.

My stomach flipped so fast I thought I was going to be sick. "You… _can't_ be serious, Jackson. You took the life of my whole family and countless other innocent people and now you think if you ask me to join this crew I'll leap at the opportunity?"

Jackson' smile disappeared and his gaze hardened. "It's either that or you walk the plank, boy. And for the record, my _father_ killed your parents, not me."

And that makes it any better?! I wanted to scream. I decided to weigh my options instead. If I joined the crew of the guy who murdered Bianca, it would be so easy for me to sneak into is quarters and assassinate him, then be gone like that. Plus the crew isn't so bad. But then again, who's to say this guy wouldn't chuck me off the ship in my sleep? He seems like the type who would.

I took a deep breath. "I…" My voice wavered a bit. "I accept your offer, Jackson."

He clapped me on the back, and I winced. "From now on it's _Captain_ Jackson and _Captain_ Chase to you, Nico. Now, to find a position for you on the crew… Well, I'll think about it. For now, Thalia, give him the tour, will you?"

The punk girl with the pixie cut approached me and held out her hand. "The name's Thalia, Nico."

"You- you already know my name, so let's just get this over with." My throat felt dry.

Thalia laughed. "Quick and straight to the point. I like you."

I snorted and muttered under my breath," I'm about as straight as a circle."

Thalia busted out laughing. "Well, come on, then. Let's start the tour, m'kay? So, over there's the gally, and above deck in the closet next to the infirmary, which you've been to, there's the weapon's closet. There are the captains' private quarters near the helm, and below deck are our cabins. You getting this?"

I nodded. And so the tour went, Thalia pointing out various things and people and even providing some gossip for him.

"Listen, it's nearly chow time. I'm gonna go check on Valdez to make sure he hasn't burnt the kitchens down by now." Indeed, the sun was setting behind the horizon by now.

Curiosity got the best of me, and I blurted," Who's Valdez?"

A cocky voice came from behind him. "I'm the Super-Sized McScizzle, man! I'm Leo Valdez, Bad Boy Supreme, and all the ladies love a bad boy!"

I made a big show of checking my arms, legs, chest, and torso, then made the cross sign. "Thank the gods I'm not a lady…"

Leo Valdez looked annoyed, but brushed it off. "If you say so, man. I'm also the steampunk king of the Argo II, and residential culinary specialist." 

"He means repair boy and cook." Thalia supplied.

"Whatever." Leo huffed.

"Hey, is the grub ready or no?" Thalia finally asked.

"Actually, yes. Chef Leo has prepared for you today his world famous tofu tacos with wine as refreshments." He spoke in a terrible faux French accent and spun the end of a nonexistent mustache on his finger.

"Get the food out, Valdez. I'll send in Piper to help you if you take too long."

Leo yelped. "Not Piper! She always throws stuff at me when I tell bad jokes, which is impossible cause all of my jokes are ama _zhang_!"

A gruff voice shouted," _LEO!"_

"Whoops! Gotta go!" Leo ran for what I supposed were the kitchens.

"And there you have it!" Thalia spread her hands. "The idiots that make up our crew."

During lunch, or chow time, as Thalia referred to it, I barely ate anything. I didn't want the food of the people who killed my sister, even if I joined their crew, and that was only to assassinate Chase and Jackson!

"So, Nico, I have found a position for you on our crew." Jackson fingered his wine goblet.

"Please." I rolled his eyes. "Enlighten me, _Captain._ "

"You are our new Sailing Master. Usually Captain Chase or I used to do that, but now that we have you, well, we just don't need to." He shrugged, not knowing how relieved I was. I liked the crow's nest.

"When you're done eating report to your cabins for the night, crew. Grace, show Nico the cabins, will you?" The blue eyed blond with the scarred lip nodded.

"I'm- I'm done anyway." I pushed my plate away.

"You barely ate anything." Hazel eyed his nearly full plate, sounding genuinely concerned.

"I- I don't have much of an appetite today. Besides, I ate before I was abducted off my ship."

"I'm done too!" The boy who was called Grace said quickly and pushed his plate away. "I'll take Nico to the cabins."

He grabbed my arm and almost dragged my to the cabins. "Listen, you can't give him lip like that! He's letting you off easy because you're new. Don't sass the captain, got it?"

I sighed as he continued rambling. "There are two or three unoccupied bunks, you can choose which one you want though they're all the same." Grace shrugged. "And that's about it." 

"Thanks, Grace." I nodded slightly. Grace made a coughing sound.

"You- think my name is Grace?"

"Why?" I could feel my face flushing. "Isn't it?"

"My last name is Grace." He suppressed a smile. "My first name is Jason."

"Shit. Sorry about that, Jason." I cleared my throat and went to 'choose' a bunk while Jason collapsed on one near the bottom.

The bunks were basically wooden frames with mattresses loaded onto them. There were seven to eight bunks, and most of them had personal photos or decorations, letters or banners or something that defined the person it belonged to. There was approximately 5.5 feet between each bunk and each bunk was maybe six and a half or seven feet wide. Pretty decent conditions for pirates, I thought.

I decided on a bunk at the very top, near a large window. It was away from everyone else, and watching the sea life pass by was kind of soothing.

There was a ladder you could climb to get to the top of the bunks and back down to the floor. I slid down it just as people started trickling in.

"So, Nico. I don't think you know everyone on the crew." Jason paused. "How many people do you know?"

I sighed and tried to remember. "You, Hazel Levesque, Thalia, Leo Valdez, Will Solace, and, umm, I think that's about it." I chewed my bottom lip.

"Okay, so, the girl with the feather in her hair is my girlfriend, Piper McLean, the girl in the armor who looks like she could kill you and can kill you is Reyna Ramirez-Arellano, the girl with the curly hair and the greasy hand is Calypso, Leo's girlfriend, and the Chinese guy is Frank Zhang, Hazel's boyfriend. There are more people in the other cabins. You'll meet them tomorrow." Jason explained.

I nodded, and suddenly the events of the day washed over me and I realized how tired I was.

"Hey, are you okay?" The girl called Calypso asked worriedly. "Guys, he doesn't look okay."

Someone hovered over me but I waved them away. "Fine- I'm fine. Just a little tired." I yawned a little and started to climb the ladder.

"Poor kid." I heard someone say. "It's been a long day for him."

I laid down on my bunk, the bandages shifting against my skin. I exhaled as everyone else went to their corresponding bunks and listened to the indistinct murmur of hushed conversation by oil lamplight.

I shuffled in my pocket for a second, then pulled out a photo of my family. I smiled faintly, remembering my mother's laugh, my father's rare but warm smile, and my sister's touch. How it felt to be alive and happy. I hesitated, then stuck it in-between two planks on the side of the ship. I adjusted it, then stared out the window. The stringy bits of seaweed floated lazily by and various colourful fish bumped against the thick glass.

The conversation was beginning to die down and the oil lamplight beginning to flicker. I pulled the frayed cotton blanket up under my chin the way Bianca used to do when I was younger after our parents died. If I remembered correctly, she used to sing this song that Papa and Mama used to sing to her when she was little. It was a song she would sing often, even as we grew older. Everyone loved watching her march across deck singing under her breath, grabbing the nearest person (which was, in most cases, me) and twirling me and bursting into a passionate, fast paced, clumsy lindy-hop.

I smiled at the memory, and I realized at that moment how much I missed my sister. What was I thinking, joining this crew? I should've just walked the plank, rather than assist the person who killed her. I bit my lip and my eyes flooded with tears, dripping into my lap. As if on cue, I heard Bianca's voice in my head, singing that old song to me after we escaped Jackson's ship as kids, barely able to hold herself together but doing so to comfort me. I remembered what a mess I had been, shaking and crying and Bianca had stayed with me the whole night, singing and losing sleep so I would feel better by morning.

 _Losing sleep…_ that was it.

 _Lately I been, I been losing sleep_

 _Dreaming about the things that we could be_

 _But baby I been, I been prayin' hard_

 _Said no more counting dollars_

 _We'll be counting stars_

 _Yeah, we'll be counting stars_

My lips mouthed the words and if I was saying them, I didn't know. If I closed my eyes I could hear Bianca's heel clicking against the deck as she grabbed my hands and stepped on my feet as we danced.

 _I see this life_

 _Like a swinging vine_

 _Swing my heart across the line_

 _In my faces flashing signs_

 _Seek it out and ye shall find_

 _The old, but I'm not that old_

 _Young, but I'm not that bold_

 _And I don't think the world is sold_

 _I'm just doing what we're told_

 _I, feel something so right_

 _Doing the wrong thing_

 _I, feel something so wrong_

 _But doing the right thing_

 _I could lie, could lie, could lie_

 _Everything that kills me makes me feel alive_

I knew I was singing now, and I was aware of the cabin gone quiet but I couldn't care less. My voice was cracking and it was hoarse but I still didn't care. If I shut my eyes long enough I thought I could see my parents' faces behind closed lids.

Suddenly I wasn't the sixteen year old Ghost King anymore. I wasn't the Prince of the _Lupo di Mare,_ the Destroyer of Light, or the Master of the Shadows. I wasn't anything. I was just Nico di Angelo, a boy who just wanted his parents back and missed his sister more than anything. A boy who felt as broken as a shattered vase and as conflicted as both sides of the yin and yang. Just a boy. I could have been anything and I wouldn't even have known, but what I did know was that this was wrong. Everything was wrong, I was wrong.

Bianca's voice floated back to me once more and I wanted to grasp it and capture it in a jar and keep it with me, forever and always.

 _Lately I been, I been losing sleep_

 _Dreaming 'bout the things that we could be_

 _Baby I been, I been prayin' hard_

 _Said no more counting dollars_

 _We'll be counting stars_

 _Lately I been, I been losing sleep_

 _Dreaming 'bout the things that we could be_

 _But baby I been, I been prayin' hard_

 _Said no more counting dollars_

 _We'll be, we'll be counting stars_

I bit my bottom lip so hard I tasted blood and Bianca's voice died away in my head. I panicked and tried to drag it back. I wanted to scream at it to stay with me, to not leave me again. But that was stupid of me, because it was just a voice in my head and it wouldn't listen. I held my head in my hands and the bunk creaked as someone crawled next to me and put an arm around my hunched form. I flailed, alarmed at the sudden touch and another arm wrapped around me in an embrace.

"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry." the voice whispered. It was the African-American girl, Hazel Levesque. I blinked hard and willed my eyes to dry.

"Sorry for what?" I asked, trying to keep my voice even.

"Don't play dumb, Nico. You know, we all came here because we had nobody else. You have nobody else also, so you're here too."

"I _had_ somebody else and Jackson took her away from me!" I said angrily, looking her in the eyes. Hazel was quiet for several minutes. "I just want my sister back." I whispered finally.

"You know, all of us had someone once too. When Captain Jackson and Captain Chase raided our hometowns, well, that was when we lost those someones. We all joined his crew because we had no other choice. We harbor no particular affection for him, but we do for each other. We all became like a family. You can be part of our family, too, if you want." She squeezed my shoulder one more time.

"And by the way." She looked at me over her own shoulder on her way down the ladder. "What was that song you were singing? You have a nice voice."

I coughed to clear my throat. "I think it's called _Counting_ _Stars_. Bianca used to sing it to me."

It was several moments before I got a reply.

"Sleep well, Nico. Tomorrow's going to be an even longer day."

 _MYSTERY POV_

I wrapped my fingers around the bars of the cell, shaking them so violently I had to let go.

 _It's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault._

Tears slid down my cheeks as the door creaked open and a sliver of light managed to sneak in. I quickly dried my face and stared at the door, waiting for the person behind the door to reveal themselves.

"I have your evening meal." The voice was feminine and gruff.

"I don't want your food." I growled. "I want freedom for myself and the one I care for most."

My visitor sighed, shaking her head.

"It's all I can do to even convince the captain to allow you an evening meal. Don't put it to waste, please. I'm doing everything I can. You _know_ we will prevail in the end. We have to strike when the time is right. That time is not now. When we prevail, I _promise_ you that you and anyone you wish to be allowed it will get their freedom. Bide your time, prisoner. Good things come to those who wait."

And with that, she set down the tray with a short-lived _CLANG_ and turned to shut the door behind her, the shadows swallowing up the sliver of light that was formerly there. I inhaled shakily and poked at the food, allowing myself a few bites. After all, I would need my energy for when the time would be right.

 _Good things come to those who wait._


	3. Chapter 3

I was woken up very pleasantly by frantic shaking.

"Nico, Nico, get up. GET UP. God, why are you such a heavy sleeper?" Who was that? I groaned and squinted. I caught a flash of a long braid. Reyna, I think.

I heard a grimace. "Dude. You look terrible." 

"LEO! Get out of my goddamned bed!" I sat up and rubbed my eyes. "What happened?"

"Captain wants you to get clothing. Piper and Drew, who you haven't met yet, are going to help you. Okay? Then, he wants you to get to the crow's nest to navigate."

I nodded and slid down the ladder. Piper took hold of my wrist and led me out of the room. "No offense, but you really do look awful. Are you sure you're okay?" she asked me as we weaved through the crew.

"It's probably just morning bedhead." I yawned. "It's normal."

"Really? That's normal? Hold on, I have a mirror." Piper stopped and dug a compact mirror out of her pocket. She flipped it open and tossed it to me. I took a glance at myself and nearly did a double take. My skin was a pale, sickly white, I had dark bags under my eyes, and my eyes were dull and almost soulless.

So this is what grief does to someone. I shrugged and handed the mirror back to her. "Who's Drew? Reyna said that she would be here." 

"That would be me." A very pretty girl sashayed over and flipped her hair in Piper's face. "So, what're we tasked with today, McLean?" She looked me up and down.

"That's Nico di Angelo. He's new. Captain wants us to help him choose clothing."

Drew sighed and rubbed her temples. "Okay, a complete waste of my morning, but okay. Follow me." She led the way to a room stockpiled with clothing.

"Any colours in mind?" Piper asked kindly.

I sighed deeply. "Black. Maybe dark red. I don't know. Whatever you think is fine is fine with me. I honestly don't care."

"Hmmm…" Piper thumbed through a few jackets. "Drew, I'll handle the jacket and the pants. You handle the shirt and the boots."

"You don't give the orders here, McLean!" Was the reply Piper got. She shook her head.

"That means yes in Drew-nese." She made a face and I smiled in spite of myself.

"How's this jacket?" She held up a plain but handsome blood red jacket steampunk coat with a few black metal clips on it. The front stopped at the waist but the back was longer and went all the way down to my ankles when she held it up in front of me. I nodded. Like I said, I really didn't care.

She thumbed through a few more articles of clothing before pulling out a pair of tight fitting white breeches. I nodded again.

Drew walked over with two pairs of boots and a few long sleeved shirts. "Pick your fave." she shrugged.

I picked up a long sleeved, loose fitting, flowy shirt that was the deepest black you've ever seen. "This one's nice.' I said quietly. God, I just wanted to get this over with. I quickly plucked a pair of boots that reached mid-calf. They were shiny, black, and had several buttons and many discreet pockets, no doubt for hiding small weapons.

"That's all." I said quickly.

"Finally." Drew groaned. "You can change in here and when you're done- well, you know what to do."

"Bye, Nico." Piper waved as she headed for the exit.

"Thank you." I called after her. I quickly undressed and slid on the breeches, then the shirt, then the coat, and finally the boots. I attempted to smooth back my hair before kicking open the door and making my way to the crow's nest.

I climbed up the long net to the crow's nest and found a telescope, a map, and a note waiting. The note read: _We're setting course for Italy to get supplies. These are rough waters. A map will help you. Do your job well or you will be punished._

Well. That was encouraging. I made myself comfortable and picked up the spyglass. For a while it went really well. We were on course and due to dock at Italy in about an hour.

Then I saw them.

"Uh, guys, there's a fleet of ships called _SPQR…_? And they're following us…? Should I be worried?" I called down.

Every head snapped up. Jackson could be heard screaming profanity as the ship took a sudden turn and the cannons were blasting.

"Get down here, di Angelo!" Jackson screamed at me as he ran around grabbing weapons and thrusting them into people's hands.

I scampered down the net and Jackson tossed me my black sword. "We're most likely going into battle. Listen to me; _do not kill anyone._ " Don't kill anyone? They were firing the cannons on us and he wanted to spare their lies? I wanted to ask him if he was insane. I didn't,of course. Instead, I mentally prepared myself to strike down intruder after intruder that entered the _Argo II_. The crew was all standing together at the helm of the ship now.

I gripped the hilt of my sword as a group of at least fifty jumped onto the deck. The crew charged. I tackled an intruder in purple and tossed them over the side of the ship. I saw them flounder and make their way to the side of their ship before being lifted onto deck again.

I briefly sparred with an intruder before I was jumped from behind by a stringy haired blond.

"You look familiar. Let me guess… Nico di Angelo of the _Lupo di Mare_?" he sneered.

"Who the fuck are you and how do you know who I am?" I gasped as I attempted a back handspring to shake him off. It worked.

"Don't you remember me, Nico? I am Octavian." A wicked grin spread across his face.

 _Octavian_? I was breathing hard as I charged him, brandishing my sword. "Leave this ship!" I growled. "NOW."

I pinned him down with my sword at his throat. "Leave-" my words were cut off as something entered my side. It burned like hell, like someone had poured liquid fire inside of me. I choked as a large blade was ripped out of my side at a jagged angle. I clutched my side and tried to steady my breathing. _No room for weakness…_

Octavian clambered out from under me, making sure to kick my ribs repeatedly. Finally,he smashed the hilt of his sword into my ribs with a _CRACK_ and shouted,"Retreat, my forces! Retreat!"

I was fairly sure I was bleeding out. Thank God for a red jacket… My knees buckled as I stood up. My ribs were throbbing and screaming. I leaned on my sword and let my hand leave my side. "Sailing Master, enough laziness!" Jackson barked at me. "We're dropping the anchor for a while. You can help Solace, we've got injuries." 

Shit. I have to help the doctor?

I made my way to the room where I had been taken to treat my rope burns. A riot was stirring inside. "WILLIAM SOLACE, LET ME LEAVE THIS GODDAMNED INFIRMARY!" Calypso yelled.

"Calypso, you got shot in the arm. You are not leaving." Will responded calmly as he bandaged her wound several times over.

"I have work to do!" She thrashed. Will finally noticed me standing in the corner.

"Nico, Captain told me you'd be coming to help. Could you get the antiseptic?"

The fire in my stomach and ribs were spreading now and I felt like I was being burnt alive but I nodded and grabbed the white bottle. I handed it to him and waited for my next task.

"Okay, could you deal with the relatively smaller injuries? Like minor stab wounds, stuff like that?"

I nodded again and tried to walk at a steady pace, AKA not trip and fall because of the pulsing in my gut and my shattered rib cage. I started cleaning and bandaging wounds as Will lectured Calypso on keeping the wound clean and not letting it get infected.

Maybe hours passed like that until the entire infirmary was empty. By that time it was supper time. I couldn't bring myself to eat any more than some pomegranate seeds. Mama and Papa said that pomegranates were like life support for the di Angelo bloodline. I seriously hoped that was true.

"Di Angelo, what is up with you today?" Leo teased as I nibbled on a pomegranate seed. "You look even worse than usual. On top of everything, you've been slow and groggy all day."

I mumbled," Seasickness." Then I dropped the pomegranate, bolted for the side of the ship, and threw up. That, ladies and gentlemen, was not acting. Merely good timing of a natural bodily function.

"You sure?" Chase eyed me strangely. I nodded. My vision was beginning to swim but I picked up the pomegranate and swallowed about half of the remaining seeds.

"Well, whatever it is, this cannot go on. Our quick stop at Italy has been both postponed and prolonged. Because of that recent attack, we need more supplies and we cannot have you unable to work because you feel the need to lose your lunch every five minutes, di Angelo. I need you to suck it up until we dock at Italy, got it?"

I nodded and it was silent for a minute. Finally, I muttered,"I'm… done. Gonna go sleep." I tried to walk in a straight line and not pass out. The flames in my stomach had intensified by now, licking at my insides and swallowing everything in its path.

Trampling, elephant-like footsteps followed me not long after. I couldn't bring myself to climb the ladder, so I eased down onto the floor and leaned my head against the footboard, not being able to fully sleep no matter how hard I tried.

That's where they found me. "Are you sure you're fine?" Hazel asked.

"I am. Just seasick, homesick, heartsick, the usual, you know?" I licked my cracked lips to moisten them a little. I lifted myself off the ground with a little grunt and dragged myself over to the small table in the corner.

Everyone shrugged except the residential doctor, who looked at me suspiciously. After a little while, Drew and two people called Clarisse and Chris joined us. Everyone started talking and laughing. I spent a good twenty minutes trying to figure out why the _SPQR_ fleet had it out for us. Why Jackson said not to attack. Finally, I decided to just ask.

"Guys, can someone tell me why the SPQR ships were chasing us?" I asked loudly. Nobody answered me.

"Why did Jackson say not to kill anyone?" Again, no answer. Just funny, half-exasperated looks.

"They seemed more than glad to hurt us-"

Suddenly, Drew scoffed loudly at me. "For the love of God, Death Boy. Shut up!"

"But I-"

"Ugh, shut _up!_ "

I was so preoccupied with trying to be heard that I almost missed the taste of blood. There was a sharp jab in my upper chest and then my mouth started slowly filling with the red liquid. I clawed at my throat, trying to breathe through my nose. I tilted my head down and most of the blood dripped onto the table. It helped, but not enough. I think my last thoughts before I passed out were: _Well, in all honesty, this is_ not _how I thought I would go down._

Will's POV

I felt bad about not answering Nico's questions about the attack. It wasn't that we didn't want to answer; none of us except the captains knew the answer.

He was acting really strange today. He didn't seem like the type who'd get seasick. His complexion was way off and his face was gaunt and sunken. Maybe it was just heartsickness or homesickness or whatever. He's dealing with a lot.

I shook my head at my own thoughts. He's sixteen, he can handle himself, like everyone else on this ship. I went back to focusing on my hand of cards. My concentration was cut off by a shrill shriek.

"Will, get over here!" Hazel shouted frantically. "Get over here _now_!"

I dropped the cards and ran to where she was standing. She was hunched over an unconscious Nico di Angelo, who had blood spilling out of his mouth and didn't seem to be breathing.

"Oh my God. What _happened_?" I asked Hazel, already checking his vitals.

"He must've gotten hurt during the attack. That's why he's been acting off all day. And he didn't tell any of us! Oh, God, when he wakes up, I'm going to kill him!" Hazel suddenly clenched her fists.

I quickly searched for a pulse. It was such a small chance that he'd still be alive, but I was betting on that small chance. When I was just about ready to give up, I found a pulse. A very thready, scattered pulse, but still, a pulse.

"He's alive, but just barely. I'll need help to get him to the infirmary. Jason, help me move him!" I called.

"Move who?" Jason looked up from the other side of the room.

"Come here and you'll see!" I sighed, exasperated. Jason sprinted over and inhaled sharply.

"How're we gonna move him? He looks pretty bad…"

"You take the legs, I'll take the upper body. Piper, notify the captain that Nico's injured badly."

Piper nodded and ran upstairs. Jason slowly lifted his legs, and Nico coughed and shook. Jason looked alarmed, but I nodded, and he continued. I attempted to pick him up under his arms, but the scream that shook the cabin made me realize his condition was too critical for him to be moved.

"We can't move him. Jason, put him down and get supplies from the infirmary."

"Which ones?" 

I quickly rattled off a small list of supplies just as Piper burst in.

"They said to take care of the injuries. Typical." she scoffed.

I gingerly opened the jacket and lifted the black shirt. The sight of the wound almost made me lose my lunch. It was purple and green and black and blue all swirling together and caked with dried blood like some grotesque version of the _Aurora Borealis._

"It's a poisoned blade." I gritted my teeth. "Idiot boy got himself stabbed my a poisoned blade and didn't tell anybody!"

"But he's gonna live, though, right?" Frank asked, his arm around Hazel.

I exhaled slowly and started analyzing the wound. "Honestly, Frank- and I'm being 100% honest with you- I'm really not sure." 

**Cliffhanger! Ah, I love whumping my characters. Even though I don't own them, it's still fun to whump them. I don't know. Should I put him out of his misery already? Anyways, happy reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

Nico's POV

The only memories I was able to distinguish from that of misery and pain were those of darkness that seemed to force itself upon me, choking me and pounding into my skull until the force of the bludgeoning made me pass out. Wait- that falls under 'misery and pain,' doesn't it?

Other than that, I remembered blinding lights and soothing croons of whispers that roused me into consciousness just barely. Everytime that happened, though, the pain from my stomach and ribs nearly blinded me, and the same crooning voice brushed the hair out of my eyes with gentle fingers, as if they were scared of hurting me, and whispered," Sleep. You need it. Go on and sleep."

There was singing, too. Whoever was singing sang loudly and terribly, but the words were nice enough, so I let it slide in my unconscious state. Truth be told, the singing was so horrible it would have been worth it to rise off my deathbed, throw an anvil at the singer, scream," _Shut the fuck up!"_ and go back to dying peacefully if it got the singing to stop.

There was thunder and lightning, flashing in white hot arcs behind my closed lids. It tore through the barrier of unconsciousness and pounded in my ears, so violently brutal. There was water, splashing and almost peaceful, but it accompanied the thunder and lightning in such a terrifyingly accurate cadence that I would have to have been stupid to call it peaceful. There was fire, flickering and dancing in columns of crimson and gold. But that wasn't what surprised me.

I saw death. Not in its 'physical' form. I saw skeletons and heaps of precious stones rise out of the earth with a sweep of the hand. Whose hand it was, I do not know. A jab of a black sword and the point of a finger that didn't belong to the previous hand. The skeletons started obeying unsaid commands, the stones expanding and deflating and morphing rapidly. It both scared and intrigued me that the black sword was one that was almost an exact replica of my very own.

In my sea of darkness I heard that crooning voice again, beckoning me to hang in there. I groaned a little and was surprised that my abdomen didn't light itself on fire. I squinted a little and was able to make out a face.

It was Hazel Levesque. She did the thing with my hair and told me to keep resting.

"But I feel fine!" I protested weakly. She looked surprised; I don't think I ever responded to her before.

"You got stabbed by a poison blade, every last one of your ribs either broken or bruised, and a collapsed lung. On top of all that, you told _nobody,_ even when you were helping in the infirmary, and passed out because one of your broken ribs poked a hole in your lung! I don't think you're 'fine'!" A new voice said. Immediately I recognized it as the terrible singing voice.

"You are a really bad singer. Like, really bad. As in, _really_ bad, as in, 'Wow, you are _sooooooo_ bad at this,' bad." I huffed. "Would you please shut up while some of us are in our comas?"

Will Solace looked offended. "I am a _wonderful_ singer. Hazel, back me up here."

She looked uncomfortable and coughed a little. "Erm…."

I smiled, knowing I had won. "Give it up. You're horrible."

"That's not the point!" he sputtered. "Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"It wasn't important." I looked down at the sheets.

"Do you know how long you've been in a coma, Nico?" the gentle voice of Hazel Levesque asked.

"A few days?" My voice went up at the end.

"About a month. That's how bad it was. The poison was literally eating away at your insides." Her golden eyes were flashing. "It wasn't 'not important.' You could have _died_!"

I was quiet. Will sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "You'll need about a week and a half more bedrest. Captain Chase is taking over navigation duties until you're fully healed. Captain Jackson is coming to see you in a few minutes. He wants to speak with you."

"Will, I need to speak with him also before Captain comes. Is it okay if you… um…" She gestured towards the door.

"Make it quick, Hazel. Captain doesn't like to be kept waiting." Will got the hint and shut the door behind him.

"This is important, Nico. I'll try to be quick. Who was your father?" Hazel asked, looking into my eyes.

"My… _father_? Why would you need to know that?" I furrowed my brow.

"Please… just tell me?"

"Fine." I sighed. "My father was Hades di Angelo, late captain of the _Lupo di Mare._ "

Hazel's eyes widened and her hand shot to her pocket. She pulled out some crumpled papers.

"Look." was all she said.

I accepted the papers and briefly scanned them. They were addressing a woman named Marie Levesque. The date was scheduled about two years after I was born. Papa was asking about the wellbeing of 'young Hazel' and 'if everything was faring well.'

"My mother told me my father would write letters. His name was Hades di Angelo, she told me. He was brought in as prisoner, and he and my mother had a- erm… encounter-" She flushed bright red, and I got what she was saying.

"Oh my God…" I held my head in my hands. "Oh my God, oh my God, oh my _God._ " 

"I think that means you and I are… you could say…" Hazel stammered.

"We're related. Half-siblings." It was a lot to absorb. Trying to wrap my mind around the whole concept was making everything spin.

"I had my suspicions." She said softly, staring at the wall. "I wanted to make sure. I always thought I had no other family since Mom died."

"Neither of us have any other family now." The reality was beginning to sink in. "We're all each other was." I bit the inside of my cheek and twisted my silver skull ring.

"If you accept me as your family-" Hazel looked at me with a sort of fierce determination in her eyes. "I don't become a replacement for your _real_ sister, nor do I want you to think I'm _trying_ to replace her. But I would like a fair chance to be like a real sister and family to you. I hope you'd give me that much."

She turned to leave but I caught her arm. "Hazel… you _are_ my real sister."

The moment was broken by Jackson, who kicked open the door and strutted in. "Levesque, if you'd leave?" When Hazel didn't move, he barked at her," I SAID _LEAVE!"_

I leapt out of the bed and my side seared with fire but I ignored it. "Don't you _dare_ talk to my sister that way, Jackson. You hear me?"

"Sister?" He seemed more mildly curious than angry.

"Sister." I hissed. "Hazel, I have to speak with Jackson. Do you mind…?"

She nodded, gave me a quick hug, and left, gently shutting the door behind her.

As soon as she left, Jackson turned on me. "Now, I believe I have a bone to pick with you…"


	5. NOT AN UPDATE AKA AUTHOR'S NOTE

THIS IS NOT AN UPDATE.

Hey, all, I'm really sorry about this but I am putting my story _Avenge Her_ on hiatus. Three stories is a lot to handle and I'm really not trying to make excuses, but there's a lot going on in school and tests and upcoming high school exams and I'm really sorry.

I chose _Avenge Her_ because it was the one with the least views/favorites/follows and I promise, for those that genuinely enjoyed the story, once I complete _Dolce Bambina_ or _Little Soldier_ I will pick this story back up, but just not now.

Again, I'm sorry and happy reading to all!

 **P.S I found this story called** _ **How Not to Get Your OTP Together**_ **by** _ **TailsDoll13.**_ **I'm addicted, it's awesome, and you should check it out.**


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